Multi-element ribbon-type hoist cable

ABSTRACT

A CABLE ASSEMBLY FOR WINCHES AND HOISTS IN WHICH TWO OR MORE WIRE ROPES ARE ENCASED IN AN ELASTOMER JACKET IN THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED RIBBON. VARIOUS TYPES OF WIRE ROPE AND JACKETS FOR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ARE DISCLOSED.

R. E. WALSH MULTI-ELEMENT RIBBON-TYPE HOIS'I CABLE Nov. 9., 1971 Filed April 22, 1970 FIG. 5

United States Patent Ofice US. Cl. 57-153 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cable assembly for winches and hoists in which two or more wire ropes are encased in an elastomer jacket in the form of an elongated ribbon. Various types of wire rope and jackets for specific requirements are disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In certain hoist applications, such as airborne hoists for helicopters, it is customary to employ stranded wire rope on a drum. Such Wire ropes, particularly Where heavy lifts are required, present many problems of handling, useful life, hoist design to prevent rope damage and the like. The thin wires which are laid up to form the wire rope are exposed and thus subject to abrasion as a result of high localized unit loading. Where thicker wire ropes are required for heavy loads, the lack of flexibility of the ropes results in the use of drums of larger diameter and therefore greater weight.

The present invention provides for a cable which can be substituted for wire rope in hoists and which will overcome the shortcomings of wire rope and permit the inclusion of electrical conductors within the structures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, similar parts have been given identical reference numerals, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a hoist employing a cable made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the hoist shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2, somewhat enlarged and partly broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary somewhat isometric view of another embodiment of a cable made in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show the manner in which cables made in accordance with the present invention can be wound upon one or more multi-grooved drums.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a reel 10 formed of spaced flanges 11 and a cable receiving body portion 12 therebetween is rotatably carried upon a motor 13. The motor 13 is adapted to drive the reel 10 in both a cable reel in and pay out direction in response to remote switch means well-known in the art.

The cable 14, best shown in FIG. 3 is wound on the reel 10 in overlapping orientation, permitting the cable storage member to be reel shaped and very compact. A book may be secured to one end of the cable 14 for lifting purposes.

As will be apparent from the examination of FIG. 3, the cable 14 is made up of two elongated lengths of wire rope 16, 17 carried in spaced parallel orientation within 3,618,309 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 an elastomer body 18. The elastomer body 18 is wider than it is thick, giving it a ribbon-like configuration.

In order to prevent twisting of the cable 14 it is preferred to have the strands of the wire ropes 16, 17 laid in opposite directions, as shown in FIG. 3. This construction also reduces cable stretching and improves the positioning of the cable on the reel as it is wound in.

The elastomer jacket 18 around the wire ropes protects the wires from damage and corrosion. In addition, because the wire ropes are not exposed, stronger but more easily corroded steel strands can be used in making the ropes 16, 17. The shape of the cable serves to distribute the loading uniformly over the supporting surface of the reel rather than localizing it as is the case with single wire ropes.

Various elastomers well known in the rubber and synthetic rubber art may be used to form the jacket 18. These materials are abrasion resistant, and resilient over a wide range of temperatures. Silicone rubber, neoprene or the like are suitable as elastomer jacket materials. In addition, the jackets may be made of thermally conductive polymers, conductive rubber, materials containing metal strands or particles of metal or carbon to provide specific performance characteristics.

Lubricants which improve the useful life of the wire ropes in the cable can be incorporated into the cable before the extrusion of the elastomer jacket around the ropes 16, 17. Such lubricants may include silicon, lithium powder, molybdenum di-sulphide and tungsten incorporated into the lay-up of the wire ropes.

Where the elastomer jacket 14 is a dielectric material the spaced wire ropes can also be used as electrical leads to operate devices at the free end of the cable or to guide loads attached to the hook 15.

In FIG. 4 there is shown a further embodiment of the invention in which a ribbon shaped cable incorporates three space-d wire ropes 19, 20, 21 and two electrical leads 22, 23. The three wire ropes 19, 20, 21 have a total load bearing capacity of a much heavier single wire rope. However, the smaller diameter of each rope 19, 20, 21 results in greater flexibility in the cable and makes it possible to use hoist reels or drums of smaller diameter and consequently lighter weight.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown the manner in which a cable made in accordance with the present invention can be wound on a drum 24 having a plurality of spaced annular grooves 25 therein. The grooves 25 are interrupted by a transverse gap 26 in the drum 24. A level wind mechanism 27 serves to lead the cable 10 into the grooves 25- as the drum 24 rotates. The lead screw 28 of the level wind 27 moves the cable 10 only as it reaches the gap 26, as indicated by the arrows 29. In this manner, lateral loading and wear on the cable is substantially eliminated. The cable 10 is laid upon itself within the grooves 25 of the drum 24 with the load dis tributed over a large surface.

Two storage drums 30, 31 having a series of spaced annular grooves 32 therein are shown in FIG. 6. The drums are spaced from each other and the grooves in one drum are displaced from the other one half their width. Here again the cable 10 crosses over from one drum to the other in the space between the drums 30, 31 to eliminate lateral loading and wear on the cable.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there have been provided cables useful in hoists and winches which lend themselves toapplications not possible with prior art devices. Cables made in accordance with the present invention, moreover, have greater flexibility for given load bearing capacities than single wire ropes and, therefore, make lighter, more efficient winches and hoists possible.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A cable assembly for a hoist comprising at least two elongated spaced Wire ropes and an elastomer jacket having a Width greater than its thickness encasing the said wire ropes into a continuous ribbon-like assembly.

2. A cable assembly according to claim 1 in which the wire ropes are formed of a plurality of wire strands.

3. A cable assembly according to claim 1 in which the strands of one rope are wound in one direction and the strands of a second rope are wound in an opposite direction.

4. A cable assembly according to claim 1 in which the ropes are in spaced parallel relationship within the jacket.

5. A cable according to claim 1 in which the jacket is made of silicone rubber.

6. A cable according to claim 1 in which the jacket is formed of neoprene.

7. A cable according to claim 1 in which elongated electrical leads are carried within the jacket.

8. A cable according to claim 1 in which a lubricant for the strand is enclosed within the jacket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,894,644 1/1933 Stur'devant 117128.7 X 2,563,113 8/1951 Hindin et a1. 57149 UX 2,577,843 12/1951 Crosby et a1. 117128.7 UX 2,600,143 6/1952 Vaughn 57-153 2,621,703 12/1952 Morrison 117128.7 UX 3,000,171 9/1961 Swansey 57153 3,509,710 5/1970 Redmond 57153 3,522,139 7/1970 Redmond 57153 X DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner 

